Box



P. C. LAVENBERG.

BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-.41 I9'f5.

Patented May 18, 1920.

ll/JI/Io /f lllllllllllld I nventor Peri'y aLavenberg, fltiya- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

PERRY c. LAVENDER-G, or sou'rn BEND, INnIAN AssIeNonuro wmnnouims PATENTS COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIs, A CORPORATION or MAINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY C. LAVENBERG,

.a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South Bend, county of St. Joseph, and State of Indiana, have invented anImprovement in Boxes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to shipping containers and pertains more particularly to boxes which are intended to combine tightness, light weight, and strength and to be economlcal in manufacture.

The invention contributes to the art a shipping container made of inexpensive materials socombined in a novel cooperative relation as to produce an extremely strong and tight container of light weight, and of minimum cost both because of the simplicity of the structure, avoiding the necessity for skilled labor, and because of the inexpensive character of the materials. The structure of the box embodyin this invention lends itself well to' manu acture upon a large commercial scale by means of automatic or partly automatic machinery.

The character of the invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows in perspective a box embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view upon an enlarged scale, of adjacent edges of a side and top section of a box blank, in the flat, such as may be employed in making boxes like that shown in Fig. 1;

F ig. 3 shows the parts of Fig. 2 folded into a right-angled relationship to form the top and a rear side of such a box as that shown in Fig. 1.

' Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing how the side material is secured together between the box ends.

- The box is preferably-made by assembling its various parts in the form of a blank which is flexible along the intended corner lines of the box, permitting the blank to be folded into box form. Such a blank may comprise a series of cleats 1, 2, 3 and 4, for each end of the box, these cleats being securely fastened to the side material, presently described, so that a pair of cleats and the corresponding material for one side of plete.

BOX.

unit. While the'box blank is being folded Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 18, 1920, Application filed August 4, 1915. Serial No. 43,514.

into, some such form as that shown in Fig.

1, an end piece 5.may be positioned inside of and adjacent the cleats and secured thereto if desired, in any suitable manner.

The specific parts above described, including side material secured to the cleats and connected so as to be foldable from the blank form into box form,'have been already employed in the art; and the present invention relates to a somewhat similar combination of'features comprising a unique construction of side material, presenting variousiadvantages which will appear to those skilled in the art. It is also within the contemplation of this invention to employv side material characteristically embodying this invention with other types of ends than that particularly illustrated in the drawing and referred to above.

The illustrative side material shown in the drawings comprises two materials of importantly different characters; and by combining them as hereinafter described and claimed, their combined advantages are novel results are at-' secured and various tamed.

The two sorts of side material selected for illustration comprise an inner layer 6 and an outer layer of sheets or strips shown, for example, in the form of four' separate sheets 7, 8, 9 and 10. The inner layer 6 1s preferably made of so-called fiber-board, pulp-board, pasteboard, or the likez'. ,e., a

material made up of more or less indiscrim-inately extending fibers compressed into a solid body but having, perhaps, a substantially uniform grain somewhat comparable to the grain of wood. The illustrative layer .6 is preferably continuous and of sufiicient length completely to encircle the box and to leave a margin 11 at one end of the blank to overlap the material 6 at the-end of the blank when the closure of the box is com- As indicated at 12 in Fig. 2, the layer 6 of fiber-board or the like may be creased, if necessary, in order to render t more pliable at the intended corners of the box. When fiber-board or the like of certain characters or sufiicient thinness are emplo ed, such creasing may be unnecessary. v 'l he outer layer of si e material preferably comprises separate sheets 7, 8, 9 and 10,

which may be made of very thin wood such' as gum veneer, each sheet of this veneer being cut to a size appropriate to a' side or the top or bottom of the box. The number and dimensions of the sheets or strips may be determined to suit the requirements of any desired box or other container.

The side materials may be assembledwith cleats. (when cleats are employed) in some such manner as that shown in Fig. 2. For example, the cleat 1 may have a tenon 13 to cooperate with a mortise 14 on the cleat 4; each of the other cleats may have a tenon 13 at one end and a mortise 14 at the other end; and the adjacent ends of the cleats are so shaped and related that they will fold into whatever angular relation is desired in the finished box. With the cleats so positioned, the layer 6 of the fiber-board-or the like may be laid thereon with the creased corners 12 located at the intervals between the cleats; and upon the fiber-board 6 or the like the veneer or similar sheets may be laid with their edges located proximate the intervals between the cleats.

The parts so assembled are preferably stapled together as by means of staples 15 and 16 which have their ends beveled in such a way as to produce the blind clenching indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the staples near the ends of the box bein thereby securely anchored in the cleats. Kny desired number of staples may be used across the width of a side section of the box.

The foregoing has reference to the staples near the ends of the box. Staples may also be provided intermediate the ends of the box as indicated at 16 in Fig. 1 and as shown in enlarged section in Fig. 4. These intermediate staples 16 are driven through the veneer sheets 7, etc., and the inner layer of fiber-board 6 and are preferably clenched and turned back into the fiber-board so as tio leave a substantially smooth interior surace.

It is particularly desirable (though not absolutely indispensable) to employ staples as described above, instead of using nails, tacks or the like,-the staples embrace between their limbs a number of fibers of the outer side sheets, 7 etc.; similarly embrace a number of fibers of the inner layer 6; at the ends of the box are securely blind clenched in the cleats; and at the intermediate portions of the box are turned back into the inner layer 6 and there firmly clenched-the result being that the materials which are individually frail and comparatively unsubstantial, are securely fastened together and to the cleats.

It is preferred that the grain (if there be any) of the inner layer 6 extend in adirection transverse to the grain of the outer sheets 7 ,etc.,-thereby producing in away the effect of a built-up veneer,and when this occurs, the staples are enabled to bind together very effectually the two transversely disposed sets of fibers of the respective bodies of side material.

The fiber-board or the like which is best to be used for the inner layer 6 of side material is of a more or less resilient and compressible character, so that when staples or other fasteners are driven through the veneer sheets 7, etc., and through the layer 6 and then either blind clenched in the cleats or clenched inside the fiber-board layer 6, the act of driving the staple may effectually compress the adjacent portions of the fiber-board or the like and subsequently hold them so compressed to connect the parts rigidly together. This is of particular importance along the lengths of the cleats, where the compression of the layer 6 between the sheets 7, etc., and the cleats, serves in effect to clamp the fiber-board securely in position, thereby not only forming a practically air tight joint but also so securely clamping the fiber-board at practically all points along the length of the cleat that whatever strains are exerted upon intermediate portions of the fiber-board are transmitted practically uniformly to the cleats throughout their lengths. This effect of the compressing and clamping action last referred to is of'substantial importance in that it tends to reduce the likelihood of the fiber-board tearing away from the staples or other fasteners. At the same time this uniform distribution of the strains upon the fiber-board better enables it to perform-its strengthening office in cooperation with the overlying veneer sheets 7, etc.

Similarly, the compression and clamping -of the fiber-board layer 6 between the cleats and the sheets 7, etc., reacts to enhance the secure attachment of the veneer sheets to the cleats, by affording a strong, resilient. frictional grip.

When sheets 7, etc., of a comparatively tough material such as gum veneer, are employed, they receive the staples or other fastenings with much less liability of tearing than would be the case if the fastenings were driven directly into fiber-board or the like. Thus, the outer layers 7 etc., of wood not only perform the desirable clamping function with reference to the more or less compressible inner layer 6, but also serve to-protect the inner layer so that the clamping functionand the general integrity of the attachment of the parts may be strongly maintained, all this being further en hanced by the preferred use of the staples instead of some other form of fastener.

The sheets 7, etc., preferably extend far enough toward the intended corner lines of the box to afford effectual protection for the bent corners of the layers 6 so as to guard said corners against breaking or cutting in transit.

' the veneer by commercial fiber-board is .practically'stable 10 and not subject to warping. When the fiber-board and veneer are united as describedabove, the stiffness of the fiber-board tends very materially to reduce warping of holding the latter firmly in its proper plane. Furthermore, the pres: ence of the fiber-board closely adjacent the inner face of the veneer so substantially obstructs the evaporation of moisture past the face .of the veneer that its drying out is materially delayed and its tendency to warp reduced in that manner, since the. evaporation is thereby largely confined to the outer face of the veneer and the resulting shrinkage is necessarily considerably slower and less likely .to crack or distort the veneer. When veneer is improperly cured it tends,

in drying out,'to shrink in width,that is,

to become narrower crosswise of its grain. The shearing strength of the fiber-board (which has no such tendency to shrink) strongly resists shrinkage ofthe veneer at the points where the fiber-board and veneer are gripped together by the fastenings.

or the various reasons explained above and others which will appear to those skilled in the art, this invention provides peculiarities of box construction which are adapted to the use of very thin fiber-board or the like and also very thin outer sheets of veneer or the like, while the combination of materials produces an unexpectedly strong and serviceable box,much stronger, in =fact,

than a box having sides of the same aggregate thickness as the combined fiber-board and veneer, but made of either fiber-board or veneer alone. For instance, a box embodying this invention and having side material made of fiber-board about of an inch thick, combined with. veneerabout 1: of an inch thick, will have greater strength and will be more serviceable than 'a box of i inch veneer or of inch fiber-board' The combined costs of inch fiber-board and if inch veneer will be less than the cost of 1} inch veneer or the thicker fiber-board referred to.

Aside from the matter of strength and economy, a box embodying this invention provides a much tighter and securer joint adjacent the cleats or ends than could be obtained inthe use of either fiber-board or box formed by the fiber-board veneer alone; and the closed corners of the extending integrally over the corner lines are well protected by the adjacent edges of the veneer.

desirably The overlap ping relation of the free ends of the fiber-board as at 11 in Fig. 1 which may be secured by stapling through the veneer, the double thicknesses of the fiberboard and into the veneer, there forms a very tight joint by clamping the overlapping margins of fiber-board between the veneer and the cleats. Boxes made of fiberboard alone when dropped upon a corner may tend to crumple at that point and thereby more or less break the fiber-board trated in the accompanying drawings remains to be pointed out. It is desirable that 1 the fiber-board be drawn tightly over the box corners in order to form square corners and to contribute to the stiffness and strength 'of the box against distorting strain. For this purpose it is desirable that the distance between a fastening staple 15 (Fig. 2) on one side section of 'the box and a fastening staple 15 on the next side section of the box, be less when the parts are in the flat blank form than when they have been folded into box form. This effect may be produced, for example, by making the tenon 13 of the cleat 1 shorter than the width of the mortise 14:, and so spacing the adjacent ends of the cleats that the distance at in Fig. 2 e. from the shoulder of the tenon 13 to the adjacent ends of the mortise limbs 14) shall be somewhat less than the width y of the mortise. With this arrangement when the mortise is folded around to the position shown in Fig. 3, the greater width 3 is forcibly interposed between the point .2 on the fiber-board and the shoulder of the tenon 13, so as to straighten out the fiber between the point a and the staples 15 and, cause it to fit tightly over the corner of the box. Of course, the distance as must not be enough less than the distance y to prohibit the proper folding of the parts; but the difference between said distances may be readily determined so as to produce the desired tightening of the fiber-board over the corner.

It isto be understood that thisinvention is not essentially limited to the details of the use of the invention, other than those. pointed out above will appear to those skilled inthe art as will also appear the fact that it is not necessary that all the features of the invention be used jointly, since they may be used separately in various coinbinations and sub-combinations. Where the word box is used herein it may be understood, where the context and prior art permit, to include other types of containers than those known popularly as boxes, wh'ch are susceptible of being made in accorlilance with this invention and of present- I ing the advantages contributed thereby.

2. A foldable box blank comprising, in'

combination, a plurality of cleats having their ends positioned in cooperative foldable relationship; a side sheet extending over an inter-cleat interval and .distorted adjacent said interval to facilitate bending thereof,- said adjacent cleat ends being constructed and arranged to tend to stretch said distorted side material when folded; exterior side material overlying said cleats; and fastening means passing through said exterior side material and into said cleats and clamping the inner distorted side material against the cleats.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PERRY C. LAVENBERG.

Witnesses: v

RICHARD G. INWooD, MARVIN K. Oar. 

